Grants Per Diem
by Knight of L-sama
Summary: A/U, with some OOC factors. Nanoha finds herself homeless, separated from Vivio. Hayate finds her and leads her to her organization which uses federal funds to get TSAB veterans like Nanoha back into permanent housing. But when Fate is her case manager, can everything be kept strictly professional? NanoFate. StrikerS ages/character-lineup.
1. Chapter 1

Day 1, Part 1 – Date of Enrollment

The soft chime of a bell announced the arrival of a young woman who appeared to be putting extra effort into her nonchalant expression.

From behind the intake desk, Ginga smiled at her and gestured towards the lobby chairs. "Good afternoon, Miss. Please take a seat and I will be with you shortly. Help yourself to our complementary snacks."

The young woman nodded and walked over to the waiting area. Aside from the gentleman speaking with Ginga at the moment, she was the only other person waiting for assistance. Her fingers glided over the pre-packaged breakfast muffins, day-old bagels from the coffee shop around the corner, and fruit that appeared to look fairly fresh. At the very least, no mold was visible. Without picking up any of the food, despite the soft protest from her stomach, the woman moved on to look at the wall of pamphlets. The more popular ones, or the least well stocked ones, were titled, "10 Ways to Keep to Your Budget" and "Free Classes for Self-Improvement." Her eyes skimmed the titles, none really catching her interest until she had neared the end of the offerings. Although her expression remained void of intrigue, she picked up the pamphlet titled, "Low-Income Child Care Providers."

"Miss?" Ginga gave the woman a warm smile as the visitor turned to make eye contact. "I'm ready for you now if you'd like to take a seat here?"

The woman carefully folded the pamphlet back up and returned it to the slot she had found it before heading to the seat across the desk from Ginga. Before she could sit down, Ginga offered her hand in greeting. The woman looked from the outstretched hand to the face of the woman offering it, seemingly at a loss for how to respond.

"It's nice to meet you. I'm glad you could make it in to see us here."

Finally, the woman cracked a smile and shook the outstretched hand. "I'm sorry; it's been a while since a stranger has wanted to shake my hand. Apparently, sleeping in the park makes you unworthy of normal social customs."

Ginga smiled in understanding. "Maybe out there, yes, but not here. Please, have a seat. So what would you like help with today, Miss?"

The woman sat down and Ginga followed suit. The woman took a deep breath before replying, "One of your representatives found me panhandling on the street just outside Memorial Park. When she heard that I was a TSAB veteran, she recommended that I come here for help. She said you could help with getting me and my daughter into permanent housing again."

Ginga nodded as she started writing notes on the blank form in front of her. "And where is your daughter now, Miss?"

"She's… staying with my mother."

"You don't have to divulge anything that you don't feel comfortable sharing, but, if I may ask, what's keeping you from living with your mother and daughter, rather than the park?"

The woman looked down at her hands as they tightened into fists. Softly, she answered, "My mother doesn't want me around my daughter… she thinks I'm an unfit parent. I want her back and I'm ready to take the steps, but I just can't afford it right now."

Ginga nodded as she continued to write notes. "I see. That's an unfortunate situation. If your mother is reasonable, we should be able to prove to her that you can resume caretaker responsibilities by the end of the program. How much would you say you make from panhandling? Do you have any other source of income?"

The woman shook her head. "I don't panhandle regularly. Only when the soup kitchen is too crowded for me or when I can't get free food from somewhere else before I collapse from hunger."

"When did you last look for a job?"

After a moment's thought, the woman replied, "I've been looking for the last six months, ever since I was fired. I last submitted my resume from the library computer last Saturday."

"Have you been sleeping in the park ever since you lost your job?"

"No. It took five months for my savings to run out, so I couldn't stay in a motel anymore. I've only been at the park for the last month."

"A possible Category 2 then…" Ginga reviewed her notes and then nodded. "Do you have your veteran documentation with you- something to prove that you were discharged from service with anything other than dishonorable?"

The woman nodded, pulling a crumpled sheet of paper out of her inner jacket pocket and offering it to Ginga. "The woman I met told me to bring it with me here."

This elicited an approving nod from Ginga as she accepted the document and started to unfold it. "Good, good. It looks like you will meet the basic requirements for our program then, Miss… Takamachi. If you will just begin filling out this paperwork here, we can formally enroll you into the program and get you scheduled with a case manager. Take your time filling them out and please just speak up if you have a question about anything. Everything should be written out in the forms. In the meantime, if you have a photo ID on you, I would like to make a copy of it and this TSAB-214 form so I can give the originals back to you."

Miss Takamachi nodded, again reaching into her pocket for her ID card. After handing it to Ginga, she pulled the clipboard closer to her and settled down to read and begin filling in the fields.

Ginga stood up and walked two paces to the copier/scanner they had on hand for just this purpose. After sitting back down with the paper copies, she quickly reviewed the copies to ensure that they were clearly legible. Once satisfied that they were, she placed the documents next to Miss Takamachi, who returned them to her pocket before silently continuing with the paperwork. Ginga pulled out a fresh vanilla folder and neatly wrote the woman's name on the tab as it was written on the TSAB-214. She placed the paper copies of the TSAB-214 and the photo ID in the folder and set it aside to essentially do the same on the electronic case management system. She cut and paste the image from the photo ID into the file's photo field. After setting the status to "Being Processed in Intake: Documentation Received", she saved and minimized the file.

"Excuse me… this part here where it says 'Disabling Condition'… I was diagnosed with PTSD, but I don't feel disabled by it."

Ginga nodded and responded, "Put it down anyway; we use that field to compile a list of possible benefit referrals. For example, TSAB veterans receive disability benefits for any health conditions derived from their time on active duty, so it still applies."

Miss Takamachi nodded and continued filling out the forms.

After a moment's pause to make sure that she didn't have any follow-up questions, Ginga reviewed the case manager case load and frowned when she noticed that, with the last participant enrolled, all had hit their recommended client per case manager ratio. She pulled up the internal instant messaging system and noticed that Fate was listed as 'Available'. Ginga opened a window to start a conversation.

Ginga: Miss Fate, are you free to talk now?

Fate: Yes, what can I help you with?

Ginga: I have a veteran here with me. She's currently filling out the paperwork, but she had all the documentation and I've already confirmed eligibility. Honorable discharge, no income, literally homeless.

Fate: Great!

Ginga: The only thing is that the girls are all booked with their current case load. I was wondering if you would like to take this one on yourself? She has a child custody issue as well, if that helps to sway you.

Fate: I wish you wouldn't imply that I rarely take on cases. I just exited two participants today, so I would be happy to add her to my list. Let me just verify with Hayate that she will be available for reviewing the file.

Ginga: Perfect! And just as a heads up, I think she's your type, but keep it professional!

Immediately, Ginga heard the telltale flutter of office window blinds as Fate peeked out from her office.

Fate: I suppose I will just have to try extra hard so that she is no longer my client as soon as possible. I concur with your assessment, though.

Ginga: I thought you might. Also, I think Hayate is the one that referred her here. She's the only one that does outreach at Memorial Park, right?

Fate: Correct. Although now that you mention it, I need to double-check when I'm next scheduled to visit Lindy at the homeless shelter.

Ginga: Busy as a bee. I'm glad I don't have your job.

Fate: I wouldn't be busy if it weren't for your hard work. But it's good that we're busy; I'd like to think it's because we're doing what we set out to do.

Ginga: Yes, indeed. Oh, it looks like she's about ready. Okay to send her in? I'd give it about 10 minutes.

Fate: Yes. I have no appointments for another two hours. Send her in when you're ready.

Ginga smiled as the woman looked up. "Did you have any other questions, Miss Takamachi?"

The woman shook her head as she set down the pen and handed the clipboard back. "No, it's a very thorough program. I'm hopeful for a successful future."

Ginga smiled again. "As are we all, Miss Takamachi. I'm glad you feel that way." She skimmed the newly filled out forms for missing fields and signed where it called for intake certification. Satisfied with its completion, she scanned the documents into the system and then placed the originals in the paper case file. Standing up with the case file in hand, she gave the woman a fresh smile. "Well, that completes everything I needed from you, Miss Takamachi. If you'll follow me, I can introduce you to your new case manager. She will verify everything that I received from you today and then help you put together an action plan going forward."

The woman smiled and nodded, standing up to follow Ginga to Fate's office. Ginga knocked on the office door, waiting until she heard Fate's soft voice welcome her in before turning the door knob. She then stepped aside to let Miss Takamachi walk through. "Fate, I'd like you to meet Miss Nanoha Takamachi. Miss Takamachi, this is Fate Harlaown. She will be your main point of contact for the duration of this program."

Fate stood up and walked around her desk with an outstretched hand. This time, Nanoha was ready to receive the hand shake. "It's a pleasure to meet you, Miss Takamachi. Thank you, Ginga."

After Fate accepted the case folder, Ginga nodded and excused herself, closing the door behind the woman.

"You have good people here. It's nice to meet you, too, Miss Harlaown."

"Please, call me Fate. Beyond intake, everyone is on a first-name basis, given the personal nature of the assistance that we provide." Fate smiled as she walked with Nanoha to her desk and pulled out a chair for Nanoha to sit on. "And I'm glad you think so. Hayate worked very hard to work out the policies and procedures to convey what she wanted to through her staff. I'll be sure to tell her that it's working."

"You can call me Nanoha then. I don't mind." As she watched Fate sit down behind the desk and begin to look over the case file, Nanoha asked, "Who is Hayate? Is she the President?"

Fate nodded in return. "She usually goes by Executive Director, but as we have no President, she serves the function of both. You've met her before actually. Did the representative who spoke with you at Memorial Park have short brown hair with a ribbon in her bangs?"

"Yes, she did, come to think of it. I didn't know the Executive Director went through all the trouble to go out and meet people. Does she do that often?"

"She does. Memorial Park is her favorite place for what we call outreach. It's where Lindy found her when she was down on her luck. Lindy owns the homeless shelter two blocks from here."

Nanoha raised her eyebrows in surprise. "The Executive Director used to be homeless?"

Fate looked up from reading and smiled at the interest Nanoha was taking in their organization. "Yes, she did. All of the case managers here used to be homeless at one point. They went through our program and kept in touch and ultimately decided to stay on as employees."

"Does that go for you as well, Fate?"

Fate paused in thought for a moment, debating how much she should divulge at this point. "No, but Lindy took me in as a foster when I was young, so I've been around the community for most of my life. My biological mother was… a drug addict. She became delusional and the combination eventually killed her."

"Oh…" Nanoha bowed her head as way of apology. "I'm sorry."

Fate shook her head. "It's all right, Nanoha. We believe that communication is a two-way street; I'm going to need personal information from you to get you the most individualized assistance, so it's only fair if I'm equally forthcoming if you are ever curious." When Nanoha nodded in response, Fate continued, "I see here that you would like child care services, but you didn't list a dependent. Is that right?"

Nanoha nodded again. "My daughter, Vivio, is staying with my mother. I haven't cared for her since I was evicted, so I didn't list her as a dependent. But if this goes well, I would need child care support until I could fully support her on my own."

"I see." Fate wrote some notes on the electronic case file before switching to another tab. "So let's take a good look at what you need to get back on your feet. You need permanent housing and income; those are a given. The question is in the how to get you those. Let's start with the income component, since income will definitely help you. Your last place of employment was TSAB, is that correct?"

"Yes, I was an instructor."

"So you served and then were employed by them? That's quite commendable. What were the circumstances of your departure?"

Nanoha took a deep breath and then began her explanation. "I was fired because I stopped showing up to work. It started when I just couldn't muster the energy to smile anymore, and then I couldn't bear to talk to anyone anymore, until finally, I just didn't want to see anyone anymore, even my own daughter. God only knows how she managed to feed herself before my mother stepped in."

"Have you ever seen anyone about your condition?"

"Yes. That's where I was diagnosed with PTSD. I stopped going to the therapy sessions when I couldn't afford it anymore, but I went regularly between the time that I was evicted and when I ran out of money. I've wanted to get better ever since she was taken away."

"If you could afford it, would you like to continue that therapy? Did you feel that it helped?"

Nanoha paused before answering, "It didn't feel like enough. But I don't think it was detrimental."

Fate nodded, continuing to make notes. "Do you remember the name of the person you saw? Can you write down their information? However much you can remember is fine. We'll try to talk to them and cross-reference our list of affiliates to see what we can arrange for you. Regular sessions may help your case in regaining custody of your daughter."

Nanoha nodded and started scribbling on the notepad that Fate offered her.

Once she had set down the pen, Fate took the notepad and input the information in her notes for future reference. As she was doing so, she verified, "The participant agreement you signed had weekly meetings with me as a program requirement. Is that okay with you?"

Nanoha nodded again. "I don't mind, but I don't have a watch or a cell phone anymore to keep track of appointments…"

"That's all right. We lend pagers to our participants until they get established enough to afford our creature comforts." Fate paused her typing to smile and wink at Nanoha. "But if you lose our archaic, cumbersome pager, it'll come out of your first paycheck."

"Really?"

"Of course not." Fate returned to reading the forms. "When you see one, you'll understand. The set was donated to us by a restaurant owner who went out of business. We didn't pay for them so you hardly should. But do try not to lose it; they're practically ancient artifacts at this point."

Nanoha smiled and nodded. "Will do."

Fate returned her attention to the written case file. "Let's see now… so we'll get you started on therapy sessions to keep you in the right frame of mind… I'm pretty sure at least one of our affiliates will take on your case at no charge for a limited time. I suppose you've had trouble getting a new job because the references from your last job weren't good enough?"

"My record up until close to the end was near perfect. It was the circumstances of my dismissal that made people not want to hire me. No one wants to invest in someone who has a history of not showing up to work – worse, someone with a condition that may make them act out in ways even they themselves aren't aware of."

"Yes, I can see where that would make it hard to justify a hire… but you're willing to turn over a new leaf now, yes? Ideally, the therapy sessions will help resolve the underlying condition that changed your track record."

"Yes… Ideally."

"I think a temporary contract would work out well for reestablishing your work ethic. I don't know that we could get you an instructor-type position again, at least not immediately, but, as I said, it's only temporary. Would you be willing to accept that?"

"Yes. Although I haven't had any luck with finding temporary work either."

Fate smiled. "Hayate is well-connected. She looks after the participants like they're her own children. We'll get you working before you know it."

Nanoha nodded. "What kind of work would it be?"

"Well, what would you like to do? If you want a career change, now is the best time to start going a different route."

"I never really thought about it before… At least, not recently. I never went to college. I went straight to TSAB after high school."

"Would you like to go? College isn't for everyone, but there are TSAB benefits that can pay most or all of your tuition expenses if that's what you want to do."

"Really? Even if I don't know what I would major in?"

Fate nodded. "Knowing what you want out of it helps, but you can spend the first two years completing core classes before you really have to decide on a major. And even if you choose an unrelated career path afterwards, as long as you did well in the classes you took and graduate with decent grades, you won't be penalized for it. Did you do well in high school?"

Nanoha nodded. "I did well enough. I never failed a class and I graduated on time."

"That's a good start. Then I'll put down college as a possible option to follow up on to help secure better employment in the future. We'll get you enrolled in a test prep course for the assessment test that's required to enroll, too. And if that ends up being the case, the temporary job may be something menial like data entry, since college would help support a different career path. Would that be okay with you?"

Nanoha nodded again. "If it helps my case, I'm ready and willing."

"Great! I'll scour the databases for what's available right now with our affiliates and give you some temp assignments to choose from. I'll probably be able to give you a list by next week's meeting. I can arrange a meeting with the employer for the following week and we'll prep you beforehand so you can have a proper interview, and if they like you, they'll have you fill out their paperwork before the end of the session, and you should be able to start working the following Monday. That's how the process usually works."

Nanoha took a few seconds to process what Fate had said. "You think you can get me a job within three weeks? When I haven't been able to get a job on my own in six months?"

Fate smiled. "It's amazing what a solid network can accomplish, isn't it?"

Nanoha nodded mutely, staring off to the side as she reveled in this realization.

"So that will be the income side. Bear in mind, Nanoha, that it's not a guaranteed job offer. We can guarantee you the interview, but the winning them over part is still all you. Of course, we'll support you all we can, but it's ultimately your life and your victories."

"I like that. Thank you."

Fate smiled and continued, "Now for your housing situation… Do you want to live in a house or apartment?"

"With my daughter? Or right now?"

"With your daughter. If you have a preference for right now, though, please share that, too."

"I'd like to afford a house eventually. I'll probably never be able to afford a place like where my mother lives, but at least it would be a place to call home. I have no real preference for me alone right now; once you've slept on a park bench in winter, just about everything else is a step up."

Fate nodded. "It's fortunate that we had a warm winter this year. In any case, you're in luck. As a veteran, you could qualify for a home loan at a low interest rate with no down payment."

"Even with bad credit? I stopped paying my bills when I ran out of money…"

"Yes, we cosign the mortgage loans with our participants until they're credit worthy enough to take on the loan themselves. Another agreement we have with our affiliates. What kind of house would you like? That you would be willing to keep making payments on even after you exit the program."

"We talked about having a three-bed, two-bath house before everything fell apart… a room for both of us plus a guest room… maybe a yard since she's always wanted a dog…"

"Okay, we'll help you look for a good house that meets your needs at a feasible monthly cost. Until then, would you be willing to live at our facilities? There's a twenty-four month limit for living here and you'll have three roommates. But we provide three meals a day free of charge and when you have income, we'll move you to a private room and charge only ten percent of your after-tax income. The rest of your income we recommend using to pay off the consumer debt that we can't pay for with federal funds."

"What do you do with that ten percent?"

"We put it into a sub-account under your name and pay it to your loan provider to cover the first few months of mortgage payments."

Nanoha nodded. "So I'd live here while I'm getting my life back in order, and then I'd move into a house with Vivio?"

Fate smiled. "That's the game plan we recommend. It's worked for others, but again, it's your life and if you aren't committed to accomplishing these goals, it may not work out like that."

"You get out of it what you put into it, right?"

"Right."

Nanoha nodded, her growing resolve causing her to sit up taller with a far off look in her eyes. "What about work after the temporary job?"

"It depends on how bad your track record has really gotten. Continued unemployment also doesn't help the employability factor, but that's why we go the temp contract route, to get you working again without forcing you to commit to it long-term. If you'd like to go back to working at your last job, I can talk to your former supervisor and see if we can work out a deal. If I can, it'll probably be a conditional rehire based on continued good progress – like a probation period. If you'd like to go to college, we can look for a job that will get you through the school years without burning you out. That would be something basic, but longer than a typical temp contract- just enough to cover basic living expenses. It's a big decision though, so you can sleep on that one; we try to keep as many options open as we can. Did you have a car before?"

Nanoha nodded. "It was repossessed when I couldn't make loan payments anymore."

"We can give you public transportation vouchers until the temp job starts paying you. We'll add personal transportation to our list of goals. Our affiliates and our living facilities are on the bus route, so that shouldn't be an issue. The local university is also on the bus route if you wanted to continue with that. Veterans can get bus passes at a discounted price to cover transportation when we can no longer offer assistance. Now about that child care… We have affiliates that offer discounted child care to veterans. There are also volunteer programs that offer after-school care. Does Vivio go to a good school? One you would like her to stay in?"

Nanoha nodded. "It's one of the best. But her mother currently pays for it; it may be out of my price range. It was when I was a TSAB instructor."

"If you'll write down the name, I'll contact the people there to see if we can work something out in the future. If not, there are other good schools in town; public schools don't have any upfront costs."

As Nanoha again wrote on the notepad, she asked, "Is there anyone in town you aren't affiliated with?"

Fate smiled. "We have a TSAB base here in town. There are very few businesses, even private establishments, who wouldn't be willing to give our veterans a helping hand or a salute to their services during active duty. So, in short, maybe one or two."

"I've gotten discounts at restaurants before, but I never realized just how many benefits there were for veterans."

"With the latest government initiative, a lot of money has gone out towards ending homelessness for veterans, so the community has banded together towards that endeavor and it really adds up. Did you have any other concerns or goals?"

After a moment's consideration, Nanoha asked, "Can you help with my credit card debt?"

Fate frowned. "We can't pay it off for you, as it counts as consumer debt, but we can give you a place to stay while you use your job income to pay it, and payments in and of themselves will help to slowly rebuild your credit."

Nanoha nodded and leaned back in her seat.

Fate typed for a little bit longer before reading the newly filled out Individual Service Plan. "All right, tell me what you think of this, Nanoha. Your end goal is to own a home and live there with your daughter. To get there, you're going to need income and to get out of debt. To get enough income to get out of debt, we're going to get you set up with an interview and temporary job within 3 weeks. For longer term stability, we'll try to negotiate with your former employer within a week and, if you choose the college route, we'll get you set up for enrollment for the fall semester. For post-college income or if your former employer doesn't want to rehire you after the temp contract ends, we'll work with you on resume-building and interviewing to get you prepared for the process once you've been released from the program.

Fate paused to give Nanoha a chance to interject, but as she remained quiet, Fate continued, "To get a mortgage loan, you're also going to need as much credit repair as possible. Towards that end, we'll give you a place to stay while you're using the temp job income to pay off your debts. How fast you finish that will depend on how much the temp job will pay and how much debt you have. We'll estimate 3 months- the standard contract period- and revisit it then or whenever we can get a firmer estimate. Also, to support permanent employment, which supports permanent housing, we'll get referrals for affordable therapy options for you to attend while living here and working the temp job. We'll also offer you public transportation vouchers until you have that permanent job and can qualify for another car loan or have enough money saved for a used car. Having a job, a house, and a car will help your case when reevaluating your capacity as a caregiver. We'll also give you child care support for the first few months until you can save enough to really maintain a decent lifestyle. How does that sound? Did I miss anything?"

"What will happen if I can't get a permanent job after the temporary job ends?"

"It depends on the progress you've made and what, if any, new hindrances have come up. You should be able to stay at our facilities up until the twenty-four month mark, under the GPD program. Then you'll be released to your new home. With mortgage costs covered for the first few months, you should be able to afford the other expenses associated with moving into a new place. It may take a while before it looks enough like a home to invite your daughter to live with you again, but you'll have achieved it mostly through your own willpower and resourcefulness. Sound like a plan?"

Nanoha smiled. "Yes, yes it does."

A/N: Hello~ A few FYI things before you jab that review button… I haven't written fanfics in a long~ time, so I may be a little rusty. Two, I wrote this at work, so ability to research was limited (and now that I put it on my home computer, I'm too lazy). That said, there is some OOCness, particularly since I haven't watched any of Nanoha in a long time. On that note, I have not read the latest manga installment of Nanoha, for life beyond StrikerS. I read some, but I never finished it, so don't spoil it for me! I may get to it one day. This is obviously an A/U type story, more in our world than their world, but I tried to keep some things consistent. This goes for all the chapters to come. I don't expect to have any significant assignments until about a month so… that'll be roughly how many days I'll be spending writing this. So I may drop off, and then come back once my actual work is done. I mainly wrote this for me, as an exercise in understanding the program process, but well, you know, the literary mind does wander. And once I wrote it, I had to share it, so here you go. Until next time!


	2. Chapter 2

A/N: Thank you for the votes of interestings. Still trying to curb OOC-ness, but as I've been re-watching StrikerS and getting more into Vivid, I realize that straight in character portrayals would be very PG-rated, which is, well, kind of boring as a writer. But I'll still try to maintain the characters as they would be in this A/U set of circumstances. Because, you know, life is all about cause and effect.

Disclaimer: For the previous chapter and all to come- I do not own any of the MGLN franchise. If I did, it would probably have some lime in it, if not outright lemons. For references to the VA, SSVF, and GPD, I do not own those either, but they are existing things made in the USA. Most forms of imagination seen here were created and manipulated by me.

Week 1, Day 1, Part Two – The GPD Facility

"Well, this is it." Fate parked the car and turned off the engine. When she didn't hear any response from Nanoha, she looked over at the woman. "Nanoha? Are you all right?"

Shaking herself out of her trance, Nanoha finally turned to face her. "Yes, sorry. Thank you for escorting me here. You really didn't have to leave the office for me; I would have been fine at the park for a little longer."

"Nonsense. Hayate would have my hide if I tried to pull something like that. Are you sure we got all of your belongings?" Fate frowned at the small duffel bag in the back seat. Although she had grown accustomed to this scarcity, it still made her sad every time.

"Yes. I sold or dumped everything else that I owned. But it's all right; I've come to appreciate the little things in life- the less materialistic things."

Fate smiled as she got out of the car and plucked the lone bag from the back seat. "Even without indulging in the luxurious lifestyle, there's something to be said about material things like a solid roof over your head and a soft bed to sleep in."

"I can take that," Nanoha protested as they met on the passenger side of the car. "Really, it's just one bag."

"That it is, Nanoha. So I see no reason why I shouldn't be able to carry it for you. Now come along; let's get you set up inside."

With a disappointed huff, Nanoha followed Fate up the walkway to the front entrance of the apartment building. As they passed well-kept shrubbery and a beautiful brick exterior, Nanoha commented, "This is such a beautiful building. It can't all be for homeless people."

"It's a converted apartment building that Hayate's family owned before she started this organization. It's fully depreciated, so costs are much lower than most other buildings. She can afford to maintain it from other sources without charging rent to the participants. Sometimes though, the participants like it so much that they petition to keep living here even after they become stable."

"I see… So if I were to go the apartment route, instead of a house, that could be an option for me too?"

"It could, yes." Fate opened the door for Nanoha, nudging her inside when she frowned in protest again. Following her in, Fate continued, "We are just a means to a beginning, Nanoha. All we want to do is set you up for success as an independent individual. What you do with that independence is entirely up to you."

Nanoha remained quiet as Fate walked up to the front desk and started talking to the receptionist. A quick exchange of documentation filled out at the office for a room key and the duo was on their way again. Fate led Nanoha down the hallway to the elevator, which they took up to the fourth floor. Once the elevator doors had closed behind them, Nanoha asked, "What if my roommates don't like me?"

"I've worked with all three women and they're all quite friendly. You shouldn't have any issues. If something comes up, however, just let your hall monitor know- I'll introduce you to her after we get you settled in- and if we can't mediate the issue, we'll reassign rooms. Let's see… Room 407 is yours. The hardest part will be sharing the bathroom with three others, but at least each room comes with an en-suite. Go on in."

Nanoha started looking around as soon as the door had swung open wide enough to see anything. In one corner, there was a small kitchen, complete with the typical apartment amenities of a refrigerator, stove, microwave, dishwasher, and two-bin sink. A closer inspection revealed a dishwasher and trash compactor as well. As Nanoha traced her fingers along the granite countertop, she asked, "I thought you said meals were provided?"

"They are; the cafeteria downstairs serves meals free to all room key holders. But we've found that homemade cooking can also be therapeutic, so we kept these kitchens during the renovations. It's one of the many incentives to making enough money to afford groceries. It also allows participants a venue for healthier, more sustainable eating habits, rather than accepting free meals or eating out and spending beyond their means."

Nanoha nodded and continued touring the room. Next to the kitchen was a round dining table with four matching chairs. Directly across from the door was a living area space with a sectional sofa, a coffee table, and floor-to-ceiling windows that revealed a spacious balcony. There was a door on either side of the fireplace across the way from the kitchen and Nanoha looked to Fate for reassurance that she could open them.

Fate smiled and guided, "The far one next to the balcony is the bathroom. It has two entries; the other one is on the other side of the closet in the bedroom. The door closest to you is the bedroom door. I don't think anyone is home right now, but I'd recommend knocking as a general practice; at least until you get to know your roommates."

Even as she spoke, however, the door swung open, revealing a woman in black yoga pants and a white camisole. There was a towel covering her shoulders, protecting them from her damp hair. She looked first at Nanoha and then at Fate, before grinning. "Fresh meat?"

Stepping closer, Fate reprimanded, "I know I don't have to tell you to be nice to your new roommate, Shari. Shari, this is Nanoha. She was just enrolled today. Nanoha, this is Shari. She's been here for three months-"

"-one week, and three days, today." Shari grinned and stuck her hand out. "Nice to meet you, Nanoha."

Nanoha nodded and reached out to shake her hand, only to be pulled into an unexpected hug. "I-It's nice to meet you, too."

Shari released Nanoha and gave her a hearty thump on the back. "By process of elimination, your bunk is right above mine, so I figured we should be on a greeting-hug basis."

Nanoha eyed Fate wearily, as if to ask, "Are you sure this arrangement is going to be okay?"

Fate smiled reassuringly as she shifted her weight to her other leg. "Shari, do please give Nanoha some time to get to know you before you try to drag her onto your friendship wagon. Are Alto and Lucino in?"

"Nah, they left for work before I even woke up. They should be back soon though. Hey, Nanoha, what do you say we hide in the shower and pop out at them when one of them tries to use the bathroom?"

At first, Nanoha bit her lip, trying to keep herself from reacting, but a small smile turned into a fit of laughter as Shari broke into an almost maniacal, strangely contagious laugh.

Fate rolled her eyes, accustomed to Shari's rarely executed pranks, and smiled when she saw that Nanoha was starting to relax. "Come in and see the bedroom, Nanoha."

"I've got it from here, Fate- not to worry." Shari wrapped her arm around Nanoha's shoulders and pulled her through the doorway into the bedroom. Despite Shari's claim, Fate followed them in, if only to set Nanoha's bag down by the first bunk bed. Shari pointed to each neatly made bed, each with a differently colored blanket. "See, that one over there is Alto's, and below her is Lucino's. Mine is here on the bottom, and yours is going to be up there. You aren't afraid of heights are you?"

Nanoha found herself grinning. "No. I was in the Air Force at TSAB and a flight instructor after that. I'd hardly call the top bunk 'heights'."

Shari laughed loudly again, slapping Nanoha on the back. "Good, good! Did you know anything about the planes you were flying? I was a weapons mechanic back in the day, but now I'm just a fly-by-night mechanic."

"Fly-by-night?"

"On call at the airport for engine checks and maintenance done in-between overnight flights."

"Nanoha," Fate smiled as she walked over to give Nanoha her room key. "I need to get back to the office, but I just wanted to make sure you made it here safely. The room key is your unique identifier and keeps track of when you enter the room. We need to keep a record of it for Federal reasons, so please don't switch cards or tailgate without letting the door read your card. The pager is set for your next appointment next week at one o'clock, so be mindful of that if you make any plans. We are pretty lax about how you spend your time, but for your sake, please take care not to do anything that would jeopardize reaching the goals we discussed today. The elevator doors open only with your room key and the hall monitor checks the elevator log every night to make sure no one left after curfew at 10PM. She also checks the room log for last entry, so just make sure to get a pass from her before curfew if you ever want to be out between 10PM and 6AM. Hmm… did I miss anything Shari?"

"No booze." Shari frowned and crossed her arms as if this was a personal attack against her. "No alcohol, no drugs, no smoking. Like Fate is always saying- to me at least- 'don't do anything that would jeopardize reaching your personal goals.' I can't even try to top my shots record until I exit the program. It sucks, but you get used to it."

Nanoha gave a weak smile. "That doesn't bother me. I've never done any of those things."

"_Never?_" Shari looked between Nanoha and Fate. "Fate, did you bring a virgin into my midst?!"

"Shari!"

Nanoha turned beet red.

Fate sighed and shook her head. "Nanoha, if _ever_ you feel that Shari is being inappropriate towards you, don't hesitate to let the hall monitor know and she'll let me know." She gave Shari a warning look as if to add, "And I'll personally punish Shari for any transgressions."

Shari interrupted before Nanoha could get a full word out in response, "Oh we'll be fine, won't we, Nanoha? I'll take extra care of my little virgin girl here. Mechanic's honor!"

Fate frowned with clear disapproval, but Nanoha gave Fate a reassuring smile and said, "I think I'll be okay, Fate. Thank you for all your help today."

"See? She's a believer!"

Fate shook her head, but accepted this as her time to exit. "The hall monitor has a common use phone and my number if you ever need me. Dinner will be served in an hour from now downstairs. I'll leave you two be for the evening. Be good, Shari."

Nanoha waved as Fate turned to leave, but Shari yanked her around before Fate had even made it to the front door.

"Okay, now that all the formalities are out of the way, you can stick your bag in the top safe there; you open and close it with your room key. Seriously, guard that room key with your life- it's your ticket to everything here. Over here's the closet… you can put your clothes on the top rack there- in case you haven't noticed, everything is parallel to who has which bed. And the bathroom has two sinks and we share the cupboard space underneath. Do you have tampons, Nanoha?"

Nanoha blushed as she stammered softly, "I have some left…"

"Just 'some'? That's no good- especially you're here for the long haul. Here's our tampon donation pot. We all help keep it in stock and everyone can pull out of it as needed. Do you have a towel?"

"No… I haven't taken a shower in-"

"No need for those kinds of details. Bottom line is that you need to shower today, right? Then let's get you out of those clothes and get you all cleaned up!"

Nanoha blinked rapidly, her cheeks still tinged with pink. "Y-you're not going to come with me, are you?"

Shari made a dramatic attempt at looking insulted. "No, of course not. What do you think I am, some kind of skin-ship loving maniac? I only just met you." Before Nanoha could finish her sigh of relief, Shari winked, "Maybe next week. Kidding, kidding! You need to lighten up, Nanoha! Good times are ahead and this is a safe place! Be anything and everything you ever wanted to be! Live it up! Just no alcohol, smoking, or drugs. But you knew that."

Nanoha nodded mutely, not quite sure what to make of her new roommate.

Fortunately, she didn't have to decide quite yet, as Shari pulled a fresh towel out of the closet and hung it up near the shower before ducking back into the closet. "Nanoha, what size are you? You'd probably fit my clothes right? Here, put these on when you get out, then we'll take the clothes you have to the laundry room so you can have them ready. Why are you just standing there? Get in the shower- go on, get! I'll be in the kitchen- I'm hungry! Are you hungry? Never mind, I'll make enough for all of us."

"I was going to eat downst-"

"Not today you won't!" Shari didn't even turn back around to respond, still heading towards the kitchen. "Shamal is cooking dinner tonight and you'll learn before long that that means you do _not_ want to be testing your luck in the cafeteria. Besides, why get free food served to the masses when you can have a beautiful homecooked meal by yours truly? Trust me, it's going to rock your world."

Nanoha stared as Shari began busying herself in the kitchen, leaving her alone with the fresh clothes and towel. Setting the clothes down, she locked both doors before beginning to strip for her shower. The moment the hot water hit her skin, the first bit of hot water in what felt like forever, a long, soft moan of pleasure escaped her lips.

_-A few hours later—_

Nanoha was relieved to find her other two roommates much lower energy and even Shari calmed down once she had run out of the introductory things to do, like introducing her to Carim, the hall monitor, feeding her the first full and nutritious meal she had had in a long time, and escorting her to the laundry room. When Shari suggested a game of twister to become better acquainted, Nanoha decided to excuse herself, insisting that she felt like taking a walk around the block. After receiving assurance that they were in a very safe neighborhood and after confirming that she had her room key in her pocket, Nanoha bid her new roommates a quick goodbye and headed back down to the first floor.

Nanoha stretched without abandon the moment she was out of sight from the front entrance. Compared to being outdoors, feeling the wind in her hair, staying inside always made her feel uncomfortably confined. With a slight spring to her step, she reflected on all that had happened today. She would have never imagined that morning, waking up in the park with fresh bird poop literally centimeters from her nose, that she would be surrounded by friendly people again, with fresh clothes, clean skin, and a warm bed soon to be slept in. She realized that even being forced to socialize would be therapeutic, given that she was allowed to ignore the world because no one pushed to really figure out what was going on.

As she turned the corner and came across a playground, she stopped. After looking around and confirming that no one was within sight, she skipped forward and claimed one of the swings. She allowed herself a few minutes of gradually ramping up speed until she was making nearly 180 degree sweeps on each cycle. Nothing ever seemed to quite measure up to the feeling of being airborne. As she stopped swinging and let momentum gradually slow down on its own, she closed her eyes and leaned against the cool metal links. Eventually, it came to a halt and she let her toes drag against the soft sand.

"Maybe I should ask Hayate if we can install a swing on your balcony. It seems to really lift your mood."

Nanoha nearly fell out of her seat, startled by the sudden interruption. Looking towards the direction of the voice, she found Fate sitting on the swing seat next to her, a small, amused smile on her lips. "F-Fate? What are you doing here?"

Fate simply pointed across the street to a house Nanoha had paid no particular attention to on the way there. "That's my house right there. I happened to look outside my window and recognized you, so I thought I'd come say hello. How are you doing?"

Straightening in her seat, Nanoha allowed herself a serene smile. "It's been one of the best days I've had in what feels like a long while. I… I feel good."

"Good. I'm glad." Fate let the peaceful silence hang for a moment before remarking, "I hope I didn't disturb you. I'm becoming like Shari, it seems."

"Shari's not so bad. And you didn't disturb me. I mean, you startled me, yes, but I don't mind that you're here. You… it's very relaxing, being around you."

Fate smiled towards the ground. "Some people struggle with the way our program operates. Most haven't bunked with strangers since their days of service and I don't know any who have admitted to missing it. Others are headstrong and very reluctant about how much assistance they receive. Sometimes it gets to the point where we have to refer them elsewhere because we can't help them the way they feel they should be helped. But you seem to be taking it in stride. I'm glad for that."

"I think… if we had met five years ago, or even one year ago, I would be one of those people refusing help. But refusing help is what landed me on a park bench and Hayate told me that this temporary assistance program's whole intent was to return me to my former independence as quickly as possible. I debated coming all day, actually. I almost didn't."

"What changed your mind?"

Nanoha leaned back so she could look up at the stars. "There was a family having a picnic nearby. They had a dog with them and were playing fetch with him. The ball rolled to my feet, so I picked it up and was preparing to toss it back to them. The little girl that was with them started coming towards me, her hands outstretched. She was just so small, just getting a handle on the difference between walking and running, and she tripped. I moved to catch her, but her father shouted for me to stay away. I shouldn't have listened, but I did. So she fell flat on her face and started crying soon after. But to him, all that mattered was that I didn't touch her. He picked her up and gave me a look like… like I was something that crawled out of a gutter. He said I could keep the ball and had his family pack up to leave."

"Nanoha…"

After taking a deep breath, Nanoha finished, "What changed my mind… was imagining that that little girl was Vivio. It made me realize that I wasn't ready to give up on being the one to guide her through her childhood. It made me realize how easily she could stray down the wrong path with someone else raising her. I love my mom and trust her with Vivio, but I don't know that she wouldn't react exactly the same as that father did. I don't even know that I would have acted any differently either. But seeing it from a new perspective… I don't want her to grow up being mistrustful of strangers to the point where she can't even accept a returned ball from someone in an open, public space within sight of her parents. I don't want her passing that mistrust onto her children. As bad as the battlefield was during active duty, I still wouldn't wish that on her. There are still trustworthy strangers out there. There are probably many more trustworthy ones than not."

Fate reached over and covered Nanoha's hand with her own, causing the woman to meet her gaze. "You're a good person. We'll work hard to make sure you get back everything that you lost."

Nanoha said nothing for a long moment, only maintaining eye contact with Fate. Eventually, she smiled and said, "Thank you, Fate."

Week 1 – Day 3

"We really should stop meeting like this- especially so close to curfew."

Nanoha smiled as she heard the familiar voice and watched as Fate joined her on the swings. Counting the night before, this made three consecutive nights of meeting at the swing set after sundown. "Good evening, Fate. How was your day?"

Fate smiled back at the casual greeting. "It was good. Busy, but productive. I met with Hayate regarding your case."

Nanoha straightened in the swing. "Oh? Should I have come in? My pager didn't go off." Nanoha pulled the red orb from underneath her shirt, confirming that it hadn't gone off.

"I didn't page you. It could have waited until our weekly meeting, but since you're here and I'm here…"

"Is there something wrong?"

"No. Well, it's mostly technicalities." Fate paused, changing her mind about how to explain it. "You see, we have two Federally funded programs for veterans here. One, SSVF, is the one that we based your intake and eligibility off of. The other, however, is the program you're currently taking advantage of- the GPD program. Both are seeking to end homelessness for veterans, but the process is a little different for both. The bottom line is, I need you to go the VA referral center and be formally declared eligible and referred by a VA official."

"Oh. What if they say I'm not eligible?"

"They won't." Fate shook her head. "You're definitely eligible. The only concern I have is that they'll refer you to a different facility. We aren't the only GPD facility in town and not the closest one to the referral center either."

Nanoha stared off into the distance as she contemplated this. "So if I follow the proper procedure, we won't work together anymore?"

"It's not a guarantee. You can request to be referred to us."

"Are you a better option than the other places?"

Fate smiled. "I can't give you an unbiased answer to that."

"Oh, right. Sorry."

"It's all right. I've never been to the other facilities, but from what research we've done in our area, we've learned that we're the highest quality providers of free counseling and therapy."

"Free?"

"For our participants, yes. Since building costs are lower, we expended more for hiring good personnel. Our cooking staff is mostly volunteers."

"Shamal is a volunteer then?"

Fate looked over with mild surprise. "You know Shamal?"

"Shari mentioned her." Nanoha decided against mentioning that it was in reference to her poor cooking. "Does she come by often?"

"Three days a week- Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday. Hayate makes Sunday dinners."

"Hayate? Executive Director Hayate?"

Fate smiled. "Just as the homeless are still human, senior management is also human. As I said, it's on a volunteer basis; she just enjoys the work."

"An executive director who talks to the homeless at the park and cooks for them on Sundays… What else does she do?"

Fate paused to consider the question and then posed, "Would you like to meet her again? Besides for Sunday dinner, I mean."

"No, no, she sounds quite busy. I wouldn't want to take up more of her time; I was just curious."

"It's all right to be curious. She's a fascinating individual. But she also wouldn't mind meeting with you outside of program hours. She likes to get to know the people she helps on an individual basis- she says it gives her motivation when business stresses her out."

"I see… Well… if we were to meet… would you be there as well?"

"I can be, if you want me to be."

Nanoha offered a small smile. "Then I'd like that."

"I'll let her know you're interested." They shared a smile before letting conversation lull into a comfortable silence. Eventually, Fate mentioned, "Another thing she noted on my proposed case plan for you- any fees we accept from you while you are living at a GPD facility cannot be put towards a mortgage payment. We can, however, put it towards moving you into a rental house and then using SSVF funds to help cover the first few months of major expenses like rent and utilities. Would you be okay with that?"

"Not that I'm extremely eager to add on more debt, but does that mean I can't get a VA loan?"

"You can get it, but the likelihood is that you will have graduated from the program by the time you're ready for it. Also, the VA guarantees the loan- not us. The no down payment and low interest conditions still apply. Also, since people who rent out their house normally don't want to sell it, we'll have to be careful about which rental house we move you into. Unless, of course, you want to wait until you can afford the ideal house and move again when you have enough saved up."

"I see…" Nanoha was quiet for a long moment, but she smiled as she responded, "It sounds all right to me. Thank you for being honest with me, Fate."

"Why wouldn't I be honest?"

"To save face, since you misinterpreted what you were allowed to do."

"That I did… and I'm sorry for that. I know you expect me to be the expert in this program. The program is new and the regulations aren't always clear, but I have no excuse. I apologize."

"Don't be. I don't expect perfection out of anyone. It makes me much happier to know that I can trust you to be straight with me if something doesn't go according to plan. So all I need to do is go to the referral center with my documents? Where is it?"

"The shuttle can take you there. Just ask at the lobby desk and they'll arrange transportation. It's on the other side of downtown."

"Okay. I'll try to go tomorrow so that you don't have to worry about me."

"Wo- Who said anything about worrying?"

Nanoha giggled. "Your face did."

Fate pouted, mumbling something about how her face always seemed to give her away and how everybody seemed to be ready to tease her about it. "I just want to make sure you're taken care of."

Nanoha placed her free hand over Fate's, whose hand still rested on hers. "I'm in good hands, Fate. I'm not worried."

_-An hour later-_

Nanoha giggled at something Fate said as they came within view of the apartment entrance.

"Corrupting the innocent again, Testarossa?"

Nanoha stopped short as a tall woman blocked her re-entry into the building.

Fate continued walking forward, unaffected by the woman's intimidating appearance. "Signum, don't be mad. It's my fault Nanoha is out past her curfew."

Signum didn't move aside, staring down Nanoha even as she responded to Fate. "I know it is. It's always you luring our tenants away after hours. It makes my job more difficult than it should be."

Fate grew flustered. "I- I'm sorry. Wait! There was only one other incident this month. It's not 'always' my-"

Signum broke into a soft grin, holding her hand up to stop Fate. "I'm kidding. I knew Nanoha would be with you when Carim told me she was missing."

Nanoha looked between the two before piecing together, "Being with Fate is a guaranteed after-curfew pass? Wait, how did you know we were hanging out?"

"Vita saw you two during her neighborhood patrol. And no," Signum answered, "It is _not_ a guaranteed pass. I'm still assigning you 15 minutes of community service for being late."

Nanoha stared in disbelief as Signum ripped a pink sheet off of a pad and handed it to her. Accepting it, she leaned closer to the light to read it.

Name: Nanoha T.

Room #: 407

Offense: Missed curfew

Penalty: 15 minutes service

Recommended Activity: Clean your room

Reading over Nanoha's shoulder, Fate giggled. "I'm sorry again for keeping her out late, Signum. We were having a nice conversation."

Signum nodded and stepped aside. "I know. Just don't let it become a habit. Or write her a pass and just invite her to stay the night, if that's your inclination, Testarossa."

Both Nanoha and Fate blushed at that.

Fate mumbled, "That would be inappropriate and unprofessional. Nanoha, have a good night and sleep well. I'll be in touch."

Nanoha smiled at Fate, still thinking about what Signum said. "I will. You have a good night, too, Fate."

With that, Fate walked back out into the night, leaving Nanoha with Signum.

"Do I need to make that 20 minutes, Nanoha?"

"No, no!" Nanoha crossed the threshold into the building, but stopped and turned to face Signum again. "Signum… why do you call Fate, 'Testarossa'?"

"Because that was her name when we met." Signum turned to face the front of the apartment again. Her radio came to life and Signum spoke into it, confirming, "Yes, she's back now. That's everyone."

Nanoha made her way to the elevator, going through the already memorized motions as she thought about what Signum had said. Fate had said that before she was adopted, her last name had been Testarossa, which meant that Signum and Fate had known each other since Fate was little. Nanoha marveled at how much of her childhood Fate had managed to keep intact.

As she opened her door and prepared for bed, she found that the last thoughts of the night were all about her new case manager, Fate Testarossa Harlaown.

Individual Service Plan

-Grants Per Diem Participant-

Name: Nanoha Takamachi

Room: 407

Enrollment Date: 3/13/14

Service Needs: 1) Therapy sessions, 2) Reestablishment of Work Ethic (Temp Job), 3)Employment Renegotiation, 4) Rental/Moving Assistance

Strengths: 1) Mostly good past performance record, 2) Good therapy attendance record, 3) Intelligent

Barriers: 1) PTSD with unpredictable episodes, 2) Bad credit/payments in default

Referrals/Benefits: 1) Therapy referrals (XXX-XXX-XXX Dr. Shamal) – on site services, 2) temp agency referral (Asura Staffing Company), 3) employment advocacy (talk with former employer), possible: college prep referrals (TBD), tuition benefits (GI Bill), home loan benefits (VA Home Loan)

Plan of Action:

Enroll participant in GPD facility

Completion Date: First Day (3/13/14)

Set up with Dr. Shamal as regular patient. # visits will depend on doctor's assessment

Completion Date: Within 1 Week (3/20/14)

Collect list of temporary agency jobs available. Will contact agency depending on participant's preferences and needs.

Completion Date: Within 1 Week (3/20/14)

Assess skills particular to selected temp contract. Contact temp agency. Schedule interview.

Completion Date: Weekly Meeting 1 (3/20/14)

Conduct interview. If successful, complete paperwork. Assess dress code and go shopping with participant.

Completion Date: Weekly Meeting 2 (3/27/14)

Have participant begin temp job.

Completion Date: The following Monday (3/31/14)

Verify that participant is on track for successful completion of program (outcome check)

Completion Date: Quarterly review (3/31/14)

Weekly Meetings with Participant on Thursdays

Completion Date(s): 4/3/14, 4/10/14, 4/17/14, 4/24/14, 5/1/14, 5/8/14, 5/15/14, 5/22/14, 5/29/14, 6/5/14, 6/12/14

Give former employer progress report to assess likelihood of rehire

Completion Date: Week before contract is expected to end (6/12/14)

Look at available rental homes and assess reasonableness.

Completion Date: 6/19/14

Complete paperwork for rental agreement and for rehire

Completion Date: 6/26/14

Confirm on course for transition from GPD to SSVF

Completion Date: 6/30/14

Help participant move in. Give first month's assistance: moving costs, deposits, rent, utilities

Completion Date: Four month mark (7/13/14)

Confirm participant exit or recertification.

Completion Date: One month later (8/13/14)

Duration: Expected 5 months (1 month to set everything up, 3 months to complete temp contract and prove work ethic, 1 month SSVF assistance)

Outcome: TBD

Quarterly Outcome Check 1: 3/31/14

Check 2: 6/30/14


	3. Chapter 3

Week 1, Day 4- Sunday Supper

"Ooh, sounds like everyone's already here! Let's go, Nanoha!"

Nanoha slowly exited the elevator, a sense of dread growing inside her as she heard the clamor from inside the cafeteria. She could already see the line snaking around the door, zig-zagging back and forth until it covered over half of the lobby. Alto and Lucino ran ahead to get into line. As Shari led her to the end of the line, which was fortunately only a few paces from the elevator, Nanoha felt the familiar tickle of an impending episode.

Her first and most reliable instinct to date was to flee. Nothing seemed better than eating alone at right that moment.

But she took a few deep breaths and tried to keep a hold of herself. Fate had worked so hard to get her into this nice home, far nicer than the park bench she had called home up until recently, and it would hardly do to let all that go to waste just because this crowd made her feel so very, very uncomfortable.

"Nanoha?" Nanoha jolted out of her trance, throwing off Shari's hand on her arm in the process. "Nanoha? Are you okay?"

Nanoha bit her lip and then forced herself to attempt a smile. "I'm sorry. I just haven't been in a crowd like this in a long time."

Shari smiled, seeming to understand. "I mean, we don't have to go; I won't hold it against you. I just figured that you would want to taste Hayate's cooking at the first chance you got. I mean, my cooking is obviously much better, but it takes a certain kind of skill to make comfort food for the masses and have each serving taste as good as the last."

"Is it really that good? I don't remember it being this busy any other night."

Lucino turned from her spot just in front of Shari. "Yeah, compared to the other cooks they have here, Hayate kind of just blows them away. And anyone who's tried it at least once knows it and keeps coming back every Sunday for it."

Nanoha surveyed the crowd, biting her lip again when a rowdy newcomer shoved her from behind.

Although she wouldn't have said anything, hard as she was trying to stay rooted in line, Alto was not so forgiving. Turning to face the perpetrator, she called out, "Hey! You just ran into my friend here! Aren't you going to apologize?"

The perpetrator turned from laughing with his friends to face Alto, drawing up to his full height. "Oh, well if isn't little Alto. Got a new friend, then?"

Nanoha watched with increasingly distanced eyes as Alto stood toe to toe with the much taller man. She sensed that this was not the first time this had occurred and the resigned looks of her roommates confirmed this. Despite her need to be outside and alone again, Nanoha couldn't bring herself to let Alto fight this fight- if there was going to be one- alone. Stepping up next to Alto, she insisted, "Alto, it's okay. It wasn't a big deal. I barely even felt it."

Alto's eyes remained locked on the man's. "No, Nanoha. Vice is the kind of self-entitled idiot who'll go on thinking he's God's gift to the world and walk all over you if you don't stand up to him and keep him accountable."

Vice grinned as he listened to Alto's description. Leaning in so that they were almost nose to nose, he said, "You're going to have to do more than just 'stand up to me' if you don't want to be walked over, Alto. Or are you all hiss and no claw?"

Nanoha saw Alto getting ready to smack the grin off Vice's face and reached out to stop her, but she wasn't the only one. With split second timing, Signum was there, one hand on Vice's chest, forcing him to back up, and one hand on Alto's wrist, stopping her intended assault.

Signum eyed both of them as she ordered, "That's enough. There will be no fighting between participants. You both know that."

Vice threw his hands into his pockets, looking as nonchalant as always. "Oh, I knew that, Signum. I wasn't going to do a thing; Alto here is the one with all the issues."

"I know you were provoking her, Vice." Signum shook her head. "One of you needs to leave. Don't force me to choose which one."

Identifying an opportunity to be out of the crowded environment, Nanoha tugged on Alto's arm and then looked to her roommates for support. "Let's have dinner somewhere else today. Or we can even come back later."

Shari chimed, "Yeah, Alto, let's go. There's still enough leftovers for me to whip something up upstairs."

Alto finally broke away from glaring at Vice and realized the predicament she had placed her friends in. With a sigh, she backed down, following her friends back towards the elevator.

Signum waited until they had gotten a few feet away before releasing Vice to rejoin the line, which had backed up as a result of the conflict. She glared at the onlookers who seemed openly disappointed that a fight hadn't broken out. Once satisfied that things had returned to normal, she returned to her post closer to the front entrance.

As the gentle din resumed, Signum felt a familiar presence beside her.

"I'm worried about her."

"Who? Alto? She'll be fine. She lets Vice get under her skin too easily."

Fate shook her head as she watched the same crowd as Signum. "Not Alto. I meant Nanoha. She doesn't seem to like crowds."

"You've been spoiling her too much with alone time, Testarossa. It just took her by surprise."

"You think it'll be fine the next time? This happens every Sunday…"

Signum responded with the slightest of shrugs. "Time will tell. But if her condition is affected by crowded areas, she wouldn't be the first instance of that. We'll be ready for it."

Fate nodded, still clearly worried as she looked towards the elevators. "I hope it doesn't scare her off…"

"As long as you live around the corner, Testarossa, I'm sure she won't get far."

Fate finally turned to pout at Signum, who had cracked a small smile. "Geez, I promise I'm keeping it strictly professional, Signum! It's not my fault that her favorite hangout spot is across the street from me… You can't honestly expect me to just leave her be... can you?"

"Do what you like, Testarossa. I'm not here to judge."

With that, Signum walked off to break up another pending fight.

-Back at room 407—

"Is it always like that?"

"Vice and Alto?" Shari shook her head as she looked towards the bedroom, where Alto had holed herself up after returning to the room. "Nah. Sometimes they actually fight, sometimes they fling peas across the cafeteria at each other…"

Nanoha considered clarifying that she had been referring to the crowd of people, but she decided that this topic also piqued her curiosity. "Have they known each other long?"

"They grew up together, joined together, fought together, and went their separate ways and then ended up here at the same time. One of those things that was just always meant to be I guess."

Nanoha hummed softly as she recalled their confrontation. "Do you know what happened between them?"

"From the way Alto talks about him, I'd say they've always been at odds, even growing up. But if you ask me, it's kind of an inferiority complex; in Alto's mind, Vice has always been the better pilot and the better athlete. It frustrates her."

Nanoha asked nothing else, letting herself get lost in thought as she stared at the bedroom door.

"So Nano-"

Nanoha let out a high pitched squeal as her pocket started vibrating furiously. Pulling out the pager, she stared in confusion as the source of the seizure-inducing light show buzzed around in her hand. "Is the office even open now…?" She looked out the window, as if needing to confirm that it was indeed long past sundown.

"Better be quick about it. Curfew's almost upon us and only your case manager can turn that thing off. Well, you can turn off the vibrations, but not the lights."

Nanoha sighed, mumbling something about wishing she had a phone, and gathered her things to head out. As she rode the elevator, she felt her level of trepidation rise again simultaneously with the clamor from the lobby. Not nearly enough time had passed for it to quiet down. The over-stimulating handheld device seemed to mirror her anxiety.

She found Signum at the front entrance again and she held up the pager as her form of excuse. Signum nodded and let her pass.

Stepping out and feeling the cool fresh air, Nanoha released a happy sigh of relief. There was no one out here for as far as her eyes could see. As she contemplated which direction to head, a familiar voice called out her name. She turned just in time to see Fate step out of the shadows.

Nanoha smiled in a gentle way that she found she had been starting to reserve for her case manager. She held up the pager, which was still happily buzzing away. "You paged?"

Fate blushed a little as she took the pager, their fingers brushing briefly, and turned it over to input a code. Within moments, the lights blinked out, leaving them in the steady glow of the patio lighting. "I'm sorry. I wanted to see you alone and make sure you were okay. In hind sight, it was silly to use the pager. I won't do it again, I promise."

Nanoha laughed as she restored the pager to her pocket. "It's okay, Fate. It surprised me, but it makes me happy that you were thinking of me."

The flush that had been starting to fade darkened again at that. Fate murmured, "I'm always worrying about the people in my care. Something is always happening with someone." Louder, she asked, "The pager settings aren't too high for you, are they? I've had highly sensitive participants who immediately went into seizures, but I've also had some who didn't notice it was on because it was set too low."

Nanoha shook her head. "It was fine, Fate. You can leave it as is. I'm glad Shari was there when it went off and I wasn't eating. I might have just buried it under a pillow until morning otherwise."

Fate bowed her head sheepishly and murmured another apology.

Nanoha reached forward and wrapped her hands around Fate's. When Fate met her steady gaze, Nanoha repeated, "You don't have to apologize, Fate. I meant it when I said I didn't mind." When Fate only gave a short nod in response, Nanoha prompted, "So why did you call for me?"

"Oh, right!" Fate snapped out of her trance and a concerned look once again appeared on her face. "Are you feeling all right, Nanoha? You didn't look well earlier in the lobby. Do crowded spaces bother you?"

It took a moment for Nanoha to reconcile what Fate said to her own memories. "You were there? I didn't notice."

Fate nodded. "Sundays are always big events; all staff is on hand in case anything happens. Well, everyone that isn't dedicated to our other facilities."

Nanoha nodded, finding herself not surprised at this revelation. "I'm fine, I think. I admit, I don't like crowds or confined spaces, but nothing happened this time."

Fate bit her lip and then tightened her grasp on Nanoha's hands. "Nanoha… while you're staying here… if you ever want to enjoy Hayate's Sunday dinner without the crowd… y-you're welcome to join my family for our early dinner. I take some of Hayate's cooking home to feed the kids before I go attend the large gathering."

Nanoha's cheeks, although not as red as Fate's, grew pink as she realized that she wanted to accept with more enthusiasm than she would have expected from herself. There was just something about Fate that made her want to spend as much time with the blonde as possible. Even the mention of kids also in attendance didn't dissuade her. It was definitely preferable to the crowd that she had just witnessed. "I… I would like that."

Fate beamed, her grasp tightening briefly with happiness. "Have you eaten yet, Nanoha?"

Nanoha nodded. "Shari reheated leftovers from the night before."

Although her disappointment was apparent, Fate accepted this with a nod. "Next time, then."

Nanoha maintained eye contact with Fate for a moment, just long enough for her to verify that there had been no other reason for this impromptu visit. She looked towards the entrance. "Do you have to go back on duty?"

"No, case managers are only there for the peak dinner rush. The security guards can handle it the rest of the time."

"Do…" Nanoha paused, suddenly conscious of the possibility that Fate might not want to spend as much time with her as she wanted to spend with Fate. Quietly, she asked, "Do you want to hang out for a little bit…"

"I'd love to."

Nanoha perked up at this and looked around, debating whether they should go to the playground where they usually met. Eventually, she opted for just leaning against the side of the building, with which Fate had no issue.

"Who are the security guards here? I know Signum, and I think the other one I met was Vita…"

Fate nodded. "Signum is the head security guard. Along with Vita there's also Zafira… sometimes we have long-term residents transition into security guard positions. Their military background is helpful when it comes to restoring order whenever incidents arise."

"Are Signum and the others all veterans?"

"Yes… technically, Hayate, Signum, Vita, Zafira, and Shamal are on Individual Ready Reserve status. If called to duty, they will all go."

"What will happen to this place if they all go? Can this place operate without Hayate?"

Fate let out a resigned sigh. "In the event that Hayate is called to duty, I will be the interim Executive Director."

"You?" Nanoha blinked rapidly as she tried to process this. "But… aren't you just a case manager? No offense."

"None taken. I'm actually the supervisor for the main case managers. That's why I had to have Hayate supervise your case; she's my immediate superior. I'm essentially second in command for the case management department."

"Oh." Nanoha turned back away as she contemplated this. "I see… Would you pass on my case to someone else if that happened?"

"No!" Fate took a moment to compose herself before continuing, "No… I don't expect anything will come up in the time that you will be a program participant here, but even if I had to take on Hayate's job, I wouldn't pass you off… you or anyone else under my care."

"How many other people are under your care?"

"As participants?" Fate hesitated, debating if she should divulge that information.

"You don't have to tell me if it's confidential. I understand."

"I only take on overflow or special cases. The rest of the time I'm reviewing the work of the other case managers. Two of mine ended recently, so right now, you're my only participant."

"Oh. I see." Although she had never considered it before, she wondered now if Fate was spending more time with her because there weren't other participants competing for her attention or because she genuinely wanted to spend time together.

A comfortable silence existed between them. Fate looked down at their intertwined hands, watching as Nanoha's thumb slowly traced the back of her hand. Nanoha's gaze had turned toward the night sky; without a cloud in sight, they had a perfect view of the distant stars.

"Would you cook Sunday dinners if Hayate wasn't here?"

Fate flushed at the thought of trying to compete with Hayate's Sunday dinner popularity. "No… I'd probably hire someone if it came to that. Or leave it to the people who cook the rest of the week. Unless you'd like to volunteer."

Nanoha laughed nervously. "I haven't cooked in so long… I'm sure I'm rusty. I doubt I'd be able to handle that crowd either. One or two people, maybe."

"Nanoha… you don't have to answer if you don't want to, but I'm just curious. How did you end up with such an aversion to crowds?"

"I'm always asking you questions, so I guess it's only fair I answer some too if you have any. Um… did you ever hear about the TSAB bombing that happened last year?"

"Yes, of cou- It was then? Were you an instructor then? Were you hurt?"

Nanoha laughed and patted Fate's hand. "Fate, you're hurting me." When Fate's grip loosened, she held up her free hand and moved the collar of her shirt aside to reveal a small blemish on her shoulder. "This is all the physical damage I sustained from the incident- from some tiny piece of debris that went flying. But ever since then, I just can't shake the feeling that crowded areas attract terrorist attacks. So I fear for the lives of everyone in the crowd, but at the same time I fear for my own. Sometimes it just gets a little overwhelming."

Fate nodded, letting the gentle, comforting silence fall between them again. She remembered being near the scene of the incident, remembered Hayate leading the relief effort to get everyone safely evacuated, remembered the terror on the faces of those who had escaped instant death from the multiple bombs. She remembered her own fear, having no idea which direction was the safe direction to run or to lead others to run. There had been a big event that day, a marathon that went through the city and looped around several neighboring ones. Because the TSAB training facility was so large, everyone came out to cheer for their favorite trainee. It was usually one of the merriest days of the year in their humble city. The bombings were centered around the finish line, the front of the TSAB facility, where the largest crowd waited for the runners.

To make matters worse, the traffic lights on the already congested roads had been hacked and all set to green. It only took a few seconds, before anyone had time to realize what happened, to have a major accident at every intersection in a 5-mile radius. The only clear area was the marathon route. As if the initial bombing hadn't been enough, once the crowd had joined the marathon runners on the route, another set of bombs went off in the middle of that crowd. Many that had only been wounded by the bombing directly ended up being trampled to death.

It had been a horrible day and its grotesqueness still felt surreal in her memories. Not that she had before, but Fate could not blame Nanoha for being traumatized after that incident. Some days, it felt like a miracle that she herself had not been just as deeply affected.

Several attempts at comforting words came and went through Fate's mind, resulting in a long silence. Eventually, with more self-control than she felt capable of, Fate broke off contact and let her hand fall to her side. "Well… I should let you go… I don't want you to get into trouble."

Nanoha bit her lip, almost revealing that she didn't mind getting into trouble if it meant spending more time with Fate, and let it go with a simple nod. "I'll see you Thursday for sure, right?"

"Thursday… for your weekly meeting, yes. I've already made some contact; I just need to make a few last minute touch-ups and I'll be ready for you then."

"Thank you for taking such good care of me."

Fate smiled. "That's what I'm here for, Nanoha."

Fate stood and watched as Nanoha headed back inside, stopping to chat with Signum for a moment before going to the elevator. For the briefest of moments, she considered staying rooted to that spot for the rest of the night to ensure Nanoha's safety. As if her presence there could somehow ward off all ill will.

"Training to be a security guard, Testarossa? I won't take just anyone."

It took a moment for Fate to snap out of her thoughts and another moment to respond. "Don't tease me, Signum. I was just leaving for the night and wanted to make sure I didn't forget anything."

"I don't think you're going to last until the end of her enrollment period. Be careful, Testarossa."

"Last…?" Fate frowned, first at the repercussions of not lasting until the end, and then at the reminder that her feelings were that transparent.

"I don't think she realizes. But she hasn't known you a full week yet. Give her at least two weeks."

Fate pouted as Signum gave her a teasing grin. "I'll have you know I have been keeping it perfectly professional."

Signum suddenly grasped Fate's hands in hers and held Fate's gaze with hers. "You don't have to apologize, Fate."

Fate stared, slightly confused, slightly taken aback, until she realized Signum was quoting Nanoha from earlier that night. Face set aglow, she pulled her hands away from Signum, who turned and laughed softly. Fate huffed in frustration, even as she accepted the point Signum had made. She definitely did not get that close with any of her participants.

"I mean it when I say 'be careful', Testarossa. We aren't bothered by your interest in her, but the rules are the rules. The last thing you want, I'm sure, is to not be the one that gets her through this stage in her life. And the last thing Hayate wants is to get written up for something _you_ did. And if Hayate is upset…"

Signum let the warning trail off at that, but Fate had no misconceptions at what would have followed. She simply nodded in response, resolute in her determination to keep it professional until Nanoha was safely out of her jurisdiction.

A/N: The TSAB bombing, as you might have guessed, was inspired by the Boston Marathon incident last year around this time (next month). It has an odd way of dawdling in my thoughts now and again, so it eventually landed here. I thought about fleshing it out (show not tell and all that) but I think the time for that will come in this story's own plotline. Or not. Who knows. I heard some ridiculous true stories that are remotely related to the things this story is based on, so expect something along those lines in the next several chapters… And thanks again for the reviews :D If it weren't already apparent, I own nothing more than the plotline and flow of this story.


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